How to make a roux (2024)

FAQs

What is the ratio for a roux? ›

A roux is a sauce built on a simple ratio of 1 part butter to 1 part flour. You start by melting butter, then add in flour, and cook the mixture over low heat until it's thick and lump-free. At this point, most recipes will instruct you to slowly add a liquid such as broth or milk, and this is where the magic happens.

1 Tbsp. flour mixed with 1 Tbsp. of butter or other fat should yield enough roux to thicken 3/4 to 1 cup of warm liquid. To avoid lumps forming, slowing whisk liquid into the roux and simmer until mixture thickens.

For Each 4 Cups of Liquid:

Medium Sauce: 4 oz roux (2 oz each butter and flour) (57 grams each) Heavy Sauce: 6 oz roux (3 oz each butter and flour) (85 grams each)

In the simplest terms possible, a roux is a mixture of equal parts flour and fat, cooked together over low to medium heat, to create a uniform thickening agent that's deployed in saucy recipes like this extra-creamy Lasagna Bolognese, Chicken-Andouille Gumbo, and béchamel-soaked Croque Monsieur.

Roux is made by cooking equal parts flour and fat together until the raw flavor of the flour cooks out and the roux has achieved the desired color. Butter is the most commonly used fat, but you can also make roux with oil, bacon grease, or other rendered fats.

Rogerkf5 writes on nola.com: A roux should be a 1 to 1 ratio but by weight, not by volume. One cup of oil weighs 7.7 ounces, and 1 cup of flour weighs 4.5 ounces. So, a proper ratio would be 1 cup of oil, and 7.7 ounces by weight of flour, close to 1-3/4 cup of all-purpose flour.

For a medium thickness, you'd use 2 tablespoons each of butter and flour to 1 cup milk. For a really thick sauce, you'd use 3 tablespoons each of butter and flour. The roux is actually the base of starch and fat that is cooked for a short time before the liquid is stirred in.

Whisk the flour into the fat until you have a smooth, thick paste. If it's too thick to whisk, add a little more fat. If it seems runny, add more flour.

To use flour as a thickening agent: Use two tablespoons flour mixed with ¼ cup cold water for each cup of medium-thick sauce. Thoroughly mix in the water to prevent lumps. After stirring the combined flour and water into the sauce, cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.

A roux is made at the beginning of a recipe while a slurry is added toward the end. This is because the flour needs to be cooked longer to remove the floury taste; cornstarch needs a shorter cooking time and a higher heat to activate the thickening properties. Cornstarch should not be cooked into a roux.

How much roux for 3 cups of stock? ›

Making a sauce with roux

Once your roux is complete, you can incorporate it into the corresponding amount of liquid: one tablespoon flour/1 tablespoon fat roux per cup of liquid.

Roux almost always has a 1:1 ratio of fat to flour. Most of my recipes call for ¼ cup of each. You cook them together over medium heat, stirring almost constantly. You'll want to use a thick-bottomed pot like a Dutch oven or a cast iron skillet because you need even heat.

However, when using flour as a gravy thickener, you must double the amount—use 2 tablespoons of flour per 1 cup of liquid. Use a whisk or wooden spoon to incorporate, stirring constantly until you thicken the gravy to the desired consistency.

Be sure to cook the gravy for at least 5 minutes after you've added the paste, in order to eliminate any raw flour flavor. As a general guideline, for 2 cups of liquid, 3 tablespoons each of butter and flour will yield a lightly thickened gravy; 4 tablespoons each will yield a medium-thick one.

To show you what I mean, I cooked four samples of roux to four different stages of doneness: white, blond, peanut butter, and dark brown.

The method for making roux uses 1 part oil or fat to 1 part flour, whisked constantly over heat until it reaches an optimal shade of color—ranging from white to dark brown. The finished base can be used to thicken sauces, gravies, and soup.

Types of Roux: There are three main types of roux: white, blond, and brown. Each type offers a distinct flavor profile and complements specific culinary creations.